Three Blue Leaves
by Nikholas F. Toledo Zu
Summary: The turbulent era of the of the warring states was finally drawing to a close and the entire country was looking forward to what the future would bring. But machinations in the shadows threatens the glimmer of peace just beyond the horizon. Kyoko's search for the truth regarding her past takes her to very heart of the brewing conflict.
1. Chapter 1

_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

_By a gust of wind_

_Autumn's leaves of trees and grass_

_Are wasted and driven._

_So they called this mountain wind_

_A storm._

_ - __Fun'ya no Yasuhide (__22/100__百人一首_)  


_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

* * *

**_Kaga Province - 10th Month, Keichō Year 10_**

It was the first time his mother asked him to skip kenjutsu practice since he started a year ago.

This request alone should have made him wary - nothing short of a death in the family, including his own, would have excused him from attending his daily training. Still, the thought of spending the entire afternoon playing kemari was enough to quell any questions in his young mind. Such happiness was short-lived when when he was quickly dressed in his finest clothes and told to mind his manners that same afternoon.

The visitors arrived in a kago bearing a crest which was not familiar to him. He knew quite well that their lord's kamon was a plum blossom with five petals. The one he was looking at did not resemble any of the daimyo's kamon surrounding Kaga either, which could only mean that they were not from any of the nearby territories.

The guests were received at the front door and ushered into the tearoom. He always thought that such exceptional hospitality was reserved only for their lord whenever he paid their family a visit. Relatives, friends, and almost anyone whom his father worked with would have used the middle entrance as befitting their station. The servants would enter by the side door, through the kitchens.

His mother started the introductions, with him bowing at the requisite parts and mouthing the appropriate platitudes. Once finished, he settled near the corner of the room and tried to tune out the women's lively chatter.

A most welcome distraction came in the form of a servant bearing a tray filled with freshly made wagashi - the scent alone was enough to make his mouth water. He hoped that his mother would be too busy entertaining to notice him slipping a few extra sweets inside his kimono sleeves. Besides, women always tend to eat less sweets for fear of getting fat.

The servant first presented the tray to the woman wearing a powder-blue kimono. She accepted the sweets graciously; her hand hovered over the tray for a moment before choosing a namagashi in the shape of a plum blossom. He noticed that, even with her unpainted face, her translucent skin rivaled the whiteness of driven snow. 'A yuki-onna', he thought, just like the one from the stories his late obāsan used to tell him: the female spirit of winter who was as cold as she was beautiful.

Once everyone had been served, his mother deftly lifted the pot from the charcoal burner and poured hot water into the lacquered cups resting on the wooden tray. Next, she measured the kamairicha leaves into the kyusu and used the warming water in the cups to steep the leaves. He managed to finish two kuri kinton before the tea was deemed ready to be served.

"Such an interesting brew," their guest murmured before taking another delicate sip from her cup. "This ryokucha is not bitter at all. The slight roasted aftertaste complements the sweetness of the wagashi."

"I'm glad you like it. I figured the children would appreciate this instead of the usual green tea."

"How very thoughtful of you," he heard her say, but her close-lipped smile did not quite reach her gray eyes. "Wherever did you find such delicious tea?"

"A gift from a visiting cousin hailing from Saga." His mother continued as she began to pour water into the pot to steep the leaves a second time, "Tea makers of Kyushu prepare the tea leaves by frying them in a huge pan - this eliminates the bitterness."

He drank his own tea slowly, as he was taught to do, in order to appreciate the warmth and fragrance, as well as the taste of the tea. Two cups later, he found himself fidgeting as he sat in seiza on the tatami, praying that his legs wouldn't die on him before his mother could give him permission to take his leave - he would just need to hold on until then. Counting the maple leaves painted on the sleeves of the girl's kimono sitting across him seemed like a good distraction until he realized that his mother was trying to tell him something.

"Sumimasen, Haha-ue. Could you say that again, please?"

She sighed. "I said that you should bring Kyoko-hime to the gardens."

"Eh~? Kyoko-hime?" he repeated dumbly, brows knotted in confusion, which caused his mother to narrow her eyes at him in warning. He gathered his wits and quickly shifted his attention to the young girl sitting beside the 'yuki-onna' - the girl herself was caught in the middle of sinking her teeth into a tsubaki mochi.

_'This is the girl for whom she had me skip practice?'_

The girl reminded him of koyo, with her momiji painted kimono and chrysanthemum embroidered obi tied in a butterfly knot on her back. Her hair was cut short, with bangs forming a straight line over her eyebrows and the edge of her hair ending just below her ears. He thought she looked a lot like one of those dolls that his mother kept on display - precious and fragile; serving little more than a decorative purpose.

But showing hospitality to the girl meant respite from the stifling confines of the tea room. His mind made up, he bowed to each of the women in turn before standing up. Armed with his most genial smile, he held out his hand to the girl sitting before him, "Please allow me to show you around the gardens, Kyoko-hime."

The girl looked at him with the most earnest expression as she placed her warm hand in his. "Arigato, Sho-dono."

The children took their leave, each preoccupied with their own thoughts as they walked out of the house. He could tell that Kyoko was dutifully following him as he led the way to the gardens. Surprisingly, it was the shy girl who finally broke the silence.

"Are you an only child, Sho-dono?" she asked, blushing heavily as her next words came out in a rush, "I-I hope you don't mind me asking."

"As far as I know, I am." he replied and gave her a questioning look, "How about you, Kyoko-hime?"

"I guess it's the same for me as well," she said, fiddling with the tassels on her obijime. "Though I cannot say it with the same certainty."

Her bald statement gave him pause. It was not unheard of after all, a nobleman having a child with another woman outside of wedlock. There were those who could even afford a second wife and a string of concubines. A male child was the preference, and would even sometimes take precedence over the legal female child for need of an heir.

"I'm not familiar with the kamon adorning your kago," he said, steering the conversation to less dangerous topics. "So, I assume that you're not from around here?"

"Haha-ue and I used to live with my ojisan back in Suruga. It's one of the provinces along the Tōkaido. The kago belongs to him, the kamon is the crest of the lord he serves."

"So, what's it called?"

"I heard it's called _mitsuba aoi_."

"Three leaves... blue," Sho's forehead furrowed in puzzlement, "Eh-? Three blue leaves?"

* * *

_.oOo..oOo..oOo._

_**Kaga Province - 7th Month, Keichō Year 13**_

"I don't understand why I still need to learn kyudō," he grouched as he threw down his bow, glaring at his arrows which never managed to hit the black circle in the middle of the mato. "In a real battle, a samurai kyudōka is no match against an ashigaru armed with a teppô! So what's the use?!"

"Calm down, Sho-kun. Besides, that's not entirely true," Kyoko countered mildly as she nocks an arrow and raises the bow above her head as she prepares to draw, "A skilled archer would be able to shoot ten arrows before a single shot could be fired."

Sho fumed as he watched her carefully took aim, pointer finger extended towards the target. She drew the tsuru back until the arrow was slightly below her cheekbone, then let go. The tsuru made a twanging noise as it was released, followed by a dull thud as the arrow found its mark. Her first arrow hits the edge of the black circle. The second arrow landed right in the middle.

He wiped his brow and blew his hair out of his eyes in frustration. Contrary to his initial impression, Kyoko had proven time and again in the past year that she was far from being a fragile useless doll. The things in which she excelled above him were indeed very few, but this was one of those few things that he wanted so badly to do better. Hence, it was hard not to feel resentful and even a bit jealous sometimes.

He caught her heavy sigh and found her frowning at the first arrow that narrowly hit its mark. "I always forget that the haya spins clockwise. Why can't I just use an otoya all the time?" she mused.

"Because that would be cheating, Kyoko-hime."

They both turned towards the gently chiding voice and found their kyudō sensei making his way towards them.

Kyoko bowed in respect before addressing the older man, "If I were to ride into battle with Sho-dono against a platoon of ashigaru armed with teppô, then I think I'm well entitled to that handicap, Fuwa Sensei."

"I earnestly hope that you would never find yourself in such a situation," his father returned her smile even though his tone held some measure of gravity.

"The way of the bow is different from the art of archery," he said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders as he hunched down between them to explain, "I teach kyudō so that both of you would learn self-discipline, not because it is a skill you would need in battle. I've fought too many wars in my lifetime to know that one's strength of will could spell the difference between a narrow victory and a crushing defeat."

He could not honestly say that he fully understood his father's cryptic words, but he nodded anyways. Kyoko, on the other hand, seemed to have certain reservations.

"Sensei, forgive me for my insolence. But I could only beg that you would continue teaching me kyudō. I may be female, but I am also from a samurai family."

"You honor your family with such steadfast dedication, my little onna bugeisha. However, you better put down your bow, for now," his father advised as he stood up, taking her bow as he continued to speak, "My wife has need of your assistance; something about changing the flower arrangement for the tea house's tokonoma to fit the season."

"Komattana!" Kyoko's amber eyes widened in distress even as she pulled off the tasuki that was holding the sleeves of her keiko-gi in place, "I almost forgot about the chabana!"

"Daijobu, Kyoko-chan," his father merely grinned and waved away her concerns. "If you go now, you would have just enough time to freshen-up and change into something presentable."

"Arigato, Fuwa-sensei. I would be taking my leave then," she replied, bowing to both of them before making her way out of the dojo.

"Ah, if only she was born a man." The proud look in the older man's eyes made his own heart ache with envy. The ease with which she receives his parent's affection without even trying irked him to no end.

"It's a damn good thing that she's not," he declared peevishly. "Besides, how else am I supposed to wed her if that was the case?"

"Such uncouth words are most unbecoming of you, my son." Disappointment colored his father's voice, his tone cold and deliberate, "Your jealousy is an ugly thing."

"I ah-, I'm not..." Sho bit his lip, face red with impotent anger. He fumbled the words in his head, desperately trying to string a rebuttal, only to give up in the end. He hung his head, ashamed at having his father point out how pathetic he was for indulging such emotions.

"Shotaro, you must learn to aim without closing either of your eyes. You should not limit your own range of sight - to do so during battle would be most foolish; someone could be shooting at you whilst you were busy taking aim."

"And they would fail." He lifted his eyes and turned his turbulent gaze towards his father, "They would fail because she would be there, watching my back."

"Then you are obliged to watch hers in return." The man picked up the bow he dropped earlier and stood in front of him, "You do not have the luxury indulge in complacency. Instead, you should be working doubly hard to prove yourself." His father held out the bow, daring him to take it along with the challenge he just issued, "Am I finally making myself clear, Shotaro?"

"Hai, Chichi-ue."

___.oOo..oOo..oOo._

* * *

___A/N: _

___Jhiz's challenge was just too tempting to pass up. After a month of sneaking in some writing while doing my day job, I finally managed to get a chapter out. _

___Rules of Jhiz's ninja challenge are as follows:_

_-AR/AU or normal world doesn't matter, you have to make them being ninjas work!_

_-stay true to the characters personalities and relationships as much as possible (with that I mean, don't go jumble everything upside down; ex Lory is still Ren's superior in some kind; Ren and Sho will never be friends, Maria is related to Lory, Yashiro is close to Ren not another arch enemy...)_

_-no leaving out any characters, (Kyoko, Ren, Sho, Lory, Maria, Yashiro, Kanae, Chiori, etc...each one of them has to have his fair share of the story) though you can add new ones, which means cross overs are also welcome._

_-at some point in time Kyoko has to be jailed through law(reason unknown)_

_-the story has to count at least 5 chapters_

_This would be my first historical serial fanfic work, hence I'm really excited on how this would turn out. Feedback is much appreciated._

___Note: Translation for the 64nd waka by Fun'ya no Yasuhide from the Hyakunin Isshu was based on the Japanese Text Initiative Electronic Text Center | University of Virginia Library_


	2. Chapter 2

_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

_In the early dawn_

_When the mists on Uji River_

_Slowly lift and clear,_

_From the shallows to the deep,_

_The stakes of fishing nets appear._

_- __Fujiwara no Sadayori (__64/100__百人一首_)

_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

* * *

_**Kaga Province | Kyoto - 8th Month, Keichō Year 15**_

The missive from the lord of Kaga arrived in late summer, appointing his father as caretaker of the Maeda manor in Kyoto. Since the new shogun declared Edo to be the defacto capital, the daimyo had started building their new family mansions in Edo for the sankin kōtai. The old mansions in Kyoto were either sold to the rich merchant class or given to the daimyo's vassals to manage.

The entire Fuwa household was busy for the rest of the month preparing for the move. His father made arrangements for the family and their two guests to travel by boat; he reasoned that they were less likely to encounter bandits that way. Some of the household servants were sent a week early to clean and prepare the manor in advance.

They sailed towards Echizen and reached port in less than two days. The family visited the nearby buddhist temple to pray for their trip before continuing to Nagahama, a castle town famous for its teppô and gunsmiths. His father bought a matchlock for himself and had commissioned a decorative pistol to be made and delivered to their lord as a gift. From Nagahama, they boarded a boat that crossed the length of the Sea of Biwa, all the way to Otsu.

"Ne, Sho-kun. We've travelled really far in the past week," Kyoko said, looking across the calm waters and towards the land they left behind, "Do you not miss Kaga?"

"What's there to miss? The entire household is moving to Kyoto anyway."

The leaves had started to turn when they started down the legendary water route of Setagawa to Ujigawa. Not everyone could say that they sailed down a river until they reached a point where it changed its name. It was quite an experience to watch as the mountain ranges and forested wilderness gave way to the well-maintained gardens, stately temples and palaces of Uji located on the southern part of the capital.

"Look Sho-chan! It's the Hōō-dō!" Kyoko exclaimed, pointing towards the west bank of the river where a grand temple was set against a colorful backdrop of golden ginko and the blazing momiji trees.

"Would you believe that buddhist temple is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the capital?" His father said as he joined them at the wooden railing of the boat to watch the scenery, "The Phoenix Hall is almost 500 years old and dates back to the Heian era."

"Chichi-ue, why is it named after the firebird?" Sho asked.

"Well, they said it was because of the building's likeness to a phoenix with outstretched wings and a tail when viewed from above."

The phoenix statue, perched atop the tiled roof of the temple, seemed to be watching the boats that were sailing pass. Sho leaned his chin against the railing and thought that being welcomed by a 500 year old firebird into the ancient capital of Kyoto was indeed a sign of good fortune.

* * *

_.oOo..oOo..oOo._

_**Kyoto - 9th Month, Keichō Year 15**_

Sho just finished his second dango when he saw Kyoko exit the kimono shop carrying a package wrapped in green cloth. She made her way across the street to the tea house where they agreed to meet. It was a good enough compromise since there was no way he would be caught dead entering a kimono shop, even though he did volunteer to accompany her to town for the errand.

"I got the kimono, Sho-chan!" Kyoko smiled as she set the box on the bench beside her, "Chiyo-basan was quite insistent that I wear the new obi she made for me. Did you happen to wait long?"

He noticed a few male heads turned towards their table, covertly checking out the sweetly smiling girl who was oblivious to the attention she was getting. The kimono shop owner seemed overly fond of Kyoko; he once overheard the woman saying that Kyoko has the perfect figure for a kimono: chest flat as a plank and a spine straight as a spear. He on the other hand, could only fervently hope that Kyoko would grow into her curves with age.

"Not really," he replied before asking, "How about you - would you like to have a snack before we head back?"

Kyoko seemed to consider his question, biting her lip as she gazed at the last dango on the stick he was holding. "I-I'm fine," she finally said after much deliberation, "Besides, it'll be lunchtime by the time we get home, no?"

He would have wanted to point out that it was a good half-hour walk back home. That she was sure to be famished on the way since she skipped breakfast to put in more hours practicing kyudō. But he was also sure that all his arguments would have fallen on deaf ears simply because Kyoko was too stubborn for her own good sometimes.

"Alright," he casually dropped the sweet he was eating on the plate before him and stood up, "We best be on our way, then."

"But Sho-chan, you haven't finished your dango," she said, looking down at the leftover snack.

He simply shook his head and reached for the package containing the kimono his mother ordered. "No, I'm done eating. I don't want it anymore."

Kyoko glowered at him, "With the harvest being bad this year, it's not good to waste food, Shotaro."

He had to raise his eyebrow at that one. Kyoko almost never calls him by his given name unless she was very much displeased with him. "Well, you're welcome to it if you want," he returned, pushing the plate across the table to her side.

Kyoko grabbed the stick and bit off a piece of the sticky rice morsel. She chewed carefully, before finishing the rest in two quick bites.

"So, was it good?" he asked, trying his hardest not to laugh at her puffed cheeks which made her like an irate fugu.

With her mouth full, Kyoko could only nod her head. He took the liberty of ordering a fresh cup of green tea for her. She drank the tea the moment it was placed on the table, washing down the sweet sticky rice paste.

"Ah! That was delicious!" Kyoko sighed in happiness. She looked at her childhood friend, a reluctant smile playing at the corner of her lips, "Arigatou, Sho-chan. I-I didn't think I was that hungry."

"Well, it wasn't much. But it should tide you over till we reach home." Sho stood up and threw a few copper coins on the table for the tea and dango. He slung the green cloth package over his shoulder before addressing the girl next to him, "Ikimashou, Kyoko."

"H-hai!" she happily replied, her hand taking hold of the edge of his kimono sleeve as she is wont to do whenever they walked together.

They managed to cross the street and reached the bridge where they halted to let a daimyo procession pass. Sho supposed that even though the new capital and the shogun were in Edo, the daimyos would still pass by Kyoto and pay their respects to the emperor if they happened to be in the Kansai region.

The group was fairly small, no more than twenty people, including the four on horseback who comprised the front and rear guards. The procession was halfway through the bridge when the four ashigaru carrying the kago stopped. A scruffy looking man was called forth and given orders by the person inside. The man met his gaze and was soon making his way towards them.

The stranger shifted the stick he was chewing on to the corner of his mouth and asked arrogantly without preamble, "Boy, would you happen to know where the Maeda manor is?"

Sho felt Kyoko's hand tightened its grip on his sleeve as she shifted closer behind him. He deliberately slanted his gaze towards the kago before meeting the uncouth man's gaze with a glower of his own. "Who wants to know?"

"Quite a tight-lipped brat, ain't cha?" he sneered, looking over Sho's shoulder to leer at Kyoko, "Maybe I should just ask your cute little friend here instead."

"Maybe you should just fuck off," Sho snapped back, earning him a pair of raised eyebrows and a snort from the man towering over him.

"You're either brave... or just really really stupid." The scruffy man unfurled his spine from its lazy slouch, his thumb flicked at the tsuba of the katana resting at his hip, "Care to find out?"

"Ushi-no-Baka! What the hell is taking you so damn long to ask for directions?"

They both turned towards the voice to see a distinguished looking man stepping out of the kago. The lord was obviously annoyed at the delay, but his anger flared upon seeing the man's hand on the hilt of his katana. "What-?! You're drawing your sword against children now?!"

The 'Stupid Cow' just rolled his eyes at the accusation and let his katana slip back into its sheath. "The brat's got quite a mouth on him, Mogami-dono. Let's see you try to get anything out of him, ne?"

"M-Mogami?" Sho's eyes flickered over Kyoko in reflex only to find that she has left his side and was walking towards the handsome lord.

"Ojisan?" she whispered, her voice trembled with hope and longing, "C-Chika-ojisan, is that really you?"

___.oOo..oOo..oOo._

* * *

_A/N:_

_The glossary part at the end of each chapter was bound to have some redundant entries. Hence the decision to create a separate page to make it cleaner. The original ch01-02 got bunched a single chapter and decided to throw in a new chapter as well. (^.^)v_

_Note: Translation for the 64nd waka by Fun'ya no Yasuhide from the Hyakunin Isshu was lifted from Japanese Text Initiative Electronic Text Center | University of Virginia Library_


	3. Chapter 3

_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

_When I look at the moon_

_I am overcome by the sadness_

_of a thousand different things—_

_even though it is not for me alone_

_that Autumn has come._

_- __Oe no Chisato (__23/100__百人一首_)

_.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo._

* * *

_____**Kyoto - 9th Month, Keichō Year 15**_

The Maeda manor in Kyoto was a two story building which was easily twice the size of their old house back in Kaga. The family rooms were situated on the second floor. Sho even got a six-tatami bedroom all to himself since there was space to spare. The receiving room, dining room and kitchen were all situated downstairs. There was even a guestroom which had an engawa overlooking the koi pond at the back of the house. It was easily the best room in the house and it was currently occupied by Kyoko's visiting uncle who hailed from Suruga.

His mother was more than happy to receive the young lord, stating that it was such an honor to have a prestigious nobleman as himself grace them with his presence. Sho tried hard not to roll his eyes while hearing such obvious panderings.

Dinner was finally being served and he was tasked to escort their guest to the pine room where the family take their meals. Sho trudged down the long corridor and stopped before the shoji screen of the guestroom.

"I knew it was a mistake to come back to the capital."

Sho had his hand poised to knock against the shoji frame, just barely managing to hold back at that last moment when he heard Saena's voice from within the room. He silently inched the shoji open as he slowly backed away from the paper screen, slithering towards the relative safety of the wall. He could only see Kyoko's uncle from his angle but it was far better than nothing.

"He has eyes everywhere, it would have only been a matter of time before he found you." The man bowed his head and apologized in a voice heavy with remorse, "I am so sorry, ane-ue. But it would seem that I could not protect you anymore."

"You've already done so much for us for the past ten years; for that I am eternally greatful." She poured light tea into the pre-warmed cups, but the slight tremor in her hands belied the tension that seemed to be building up inside her. "Iechika, does he- does he know about Kyoko?"

"I don't believe so, and I think it's safer that way. If he doesn't know, then his wife cannot possibly know as well."

The man named Iechika reached for his cup and drank his tea before continuing, "A very cunning shrew, she is. It was a marriage of convenience, ordered by the kampaku himself. She was six years older and had already been married twice. The first ended in a divorce and the second left her widowed. She knew she'd be in a precarious position if he takes a concubine. So she told him right after their marriage that she would order the death of any child he fathers with another woman."

Saena managed a very unladylike snort as she poured tea for her brother, "That never stopped him from touching me."

"You never rejected his advances in the first place, ane-ue!" he said, his tone rising in reproach. He sighed and shook his head, a bittersweet smile on his face. "But that o-baka really loved you. I think he fell in love that night he kidnapped you from the Jurakudai sixteen years ago. He was totally devastated when I had to tell him that you and the baby died during childbirth."

"And now, after a decade, he finally knows the truth." Saena quietly concluded.

"I think he was happy for all of five seconds before remembered that he was supposed to be very angry at me," he mused aloud.

"Did he demand you cut open your belly for such insolence?" she asked while pouring him a second cup.

"No, he didn't. Besides, he wouldn't want to displease the ōgosho with my demise. I'm too valuable a vassal after all," he replied half-jokingly to lighten the mood as he downed his second cup. "But the o-baka did challenge me to a duel. I think I should call him o-bakemono instead since he managed to beat me half to death with a bokutō."

"You look suspiciously lively for someone who was beaten half to death."

"I am nothing if not resilient after all. I could still ensure Kyoko's safety since he seems to be ignorant of her existence. It is you, whom I'm worried about."

"I have arranged for Kyoko to marry the Fuwa heir." Saena said, trying to choose her next words carefully, "The children have grown fond of each other these past years. Fuwa-dono and his wife would be more than happy accept her into their family."

Her brother's face fell at her words. He was clearly displeased by the fact that his precious niece was marrying below her station.

"I could officially adopt Kyoko into my family instead," he declared, putting forward a suggestion of his own. "But since I was technically adopted by the ōgosho himself, and Otou-sama is still officially the daimyo of Dewa, this means that Kyoko would be registered under the shogun's branch family."

"No, it's too risky. They would need to investigate her background and it could only lead to questions that would no doubt trigger suspicions," Saena said, pointing out the obvious flaw in his plan.

"That is true," Iechika conceded as he sighed in defeat. "Then the only other option I could think of is to send her home to Dewa."

"NEVER! You will NOT send my daughter to Dewa!" Seana countered fiercely, her voice dropping to a low dangerous hiss, "I refuse to let that old weasel use my child for a political bid for power, just like he did with us."

"Otou-sama never thought to abandon you! When we heard of the taiko's order to purge the kampaku's household he rushed to Fushimi Castle. The proud Lord Mogami knelt down before the taiko to beg for your life, onee-san! It was the first time I had ever seen him humble himself in front of anyone."

"If he could afford to ride into the capital, then he should've saved me himself!" she replied bitingly, "That way, he could have preserved our clan's dignity and his own."

Her brother looked so helpless even as he earnestly pleaded with her, "It's been over a decade, don't you think it's about time you forgive otou-sama?"

"As far as he's concerned, I died that day of the massacre at Sanjogawara." Saena's voice was like tempered steel, "The dead cannot afford to forgive those who failed them. It would do you good to remember that, otōto-san."

* * *

_.oOo..oOo..oOo._

Sho was left reeling from everything he had learned in the past half-hour.

Who would have thought that Kyoko's visiting uncle, Suruga-no-Kami, was the adopted son of the the ōgosho, a hatamoto of the current shogun and heir to the province of Dewa? It perfectly explained why Kyoko and her mother were riding a kago bearing that kamon when they first arrived in Kaga.

_Mitsuba Aoi._

He got the character for 'Aoi' totally wrong - It was not 'blue' but 'hollyhock'.

Three **_hollyhock_** leaves. The shogun's family crest.

And that was just half of it.

Kyoko's grandfather, on her mother's side of the family, was apparently the fearsome Lord Mogami of Dewa. The Mogami clan could clearly trace their lineage all the way back to the Minamoto of the Heian era. He figured the requisite family tree would be documented in well preserved scrolls, locked in a secret place within their castles, with a copy furnished to the local shrine or temple for safekeeping. Only a handful of the present day samurai clans could boast of of such noble bloodline. His own clan claimed descent from the Fujiwara, but none of them have would have been able to produce any solid tangible proof if someone were to ask for one.

And Kyoko's father was the biggest mystery of all. His identity was the key to all of this secrecy.

"Does she even know who her father is?"

"No, she doesn't. And she's better off not knowing him."

Sho almost jumped out of his own skin, startled by the reply that seemed to have come from the shadows. He whipped around to find the 'Stupid Cow', who apparently was Suruga-no-Kami's yojimbo, standing in the hallway behind him. The man had a dark frown creasing his forehead, a battered-looking kiseru dangled from the corner of his mouth.

"Eavesdropping is a dangerous hobby, boy. You never know who might catch you."

"I live here. It's only right I get to know what's going on," Sho declared, ignoring the underlying threat and ventured to ask instead, "Ne, Ushi-jisan, do YOU know who he is?"

"Well, I ain't telling a little punk like you, that's for sure!" The boorish yojimbo hit him upside the head with the long thin pipe as he passed by, "And the name's Kurosaki... Kurosaki Ushio. I suggest you remember it and address me respectfully the next time you want information."

No sooner had the yojimbo finished speaking than a senbon was thrown and struck someone hiding in the ceiling beams.

He could only watch in amazement as a shinobi dropped soundlessly on the floor and threw a shuriken in return. Kurosaki deflected the metal star with a flick of his kiseru. With the yojimbo momentarily distracted, the shinobi swiftly jumped through the open shoji that led outside and broke into a dead run.

"Friend of yours?" Kurosaki asked the baffled young man, "You two seem to share the same hobby."

Sho shook his head and chanced upon the bloodied senbon lying on the floor. He bent down and was just about to pick-up the weapon when Kurosaki's harsh command stilled his hand. "Don't touch that!"

The yojimbo picked up the senbon with a cloth, carefully wiping off the blood before placing it back in a small flat leather pouch hidden behind the ties of his obi. Sho blanched when he realized that the senbon was most probably poisoned. He watched as Kurosaki entered Mogami-dono's room without announcing himself and came back out the hallway wearing a haori and a katana at his hip.

"Where are you going?!" Sho shouted even as the older man brushed past him.

"Hunting."


	4. Glossary

_**Glossary:**_

___________ashigaru - foot soldier_

___________chabana - style of flower arrangement for Japanese tea ceremony_

_________________________chichi-ue - ____archaic Japanese word for father_

___dango - japanese sweet dumpling made from rice flour_

___daimyo - Japanese warlord_

___fugu - blowfish_

_haha-ue - archaic Japanese word for mother_

___________haya - (male) arrow_

_kago - palanquin_

_kamairicha - pan roasted green tea_

_kampaku - __regent; adviser to the emperor_

_kamon/mon - samurai family crest_

_kemari - traditional Japanese ball game (7th century)_

___kyudō - 'Way of the bow'_

_______kyudōka - one who practices ____kyudō_

_kyusu - traditional Japanese tea pot (used for serving green tea)_

_______mato - ____kyudō practice target with a single black circle in the middle_

_momiji - maple, maple leaves_

_wagashi - traditional Japanese sweets_

_* kuri kinton - candied chestnuts mixed with sweetened mashed Japanese sweet potatoes_

_* namagashi - wagashi served during tea ceremony_

_* tsubaki mochi - mochi filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in a camellia(tsubaki) leaf_

_obāsan - grandmother_

_obasan - aunt, honorific for older women_

_ojisan - uncle, honorific for older men_

_ōgosho - retired shogun_

___________onna bugeisha - female warrior belonging to the Japanese upper class_

___________otou-sama - another formal honorific for 'father' _

___________otoya - (female) arrow_

_ryokucha - green tea_

_sankin-kōtai - a daimyo's alternate-year residence in Edo_

_seiza - formal kneeled sitting position._

_senbon - metal needle with points at both ends used as a throwing weapon_

_shogun - military dictator_

_shuriken - small flat metal disc with sharp edges __used as a throwing weapon_

_sumimasen - 'Excuse me'_

_taiko - retired kampaku(regent)_

_______________________tasuki - a sash or cord used to tuck up the sleeves of a __kimono/gi_

___________teppô - Japanese matchlock_

___________T________ō_kaido - One of the five routes that connects Edo to Kyoto that travels along the sea coast

___________tokonoma - built-in recessed space in a Japanese style room_

___________tsuba - sword hand guard_

_yuki onna - snow woman_


End file.
